Automobile-signal.



F. RAUSCHER.

AUTOMOBILE SIGNAL.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 1. 1915.

1,164,547. Patented Dec. 14, 1915.

OLUMBIA PLANOGRAPH COUWASHXNGTQN, D. c

FREDERICK RAUSCHER, OF PORT RICHMOND, NEW YORK.

AUTOMOBILE- SIGNAL.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 14, 1915.

Application filed. May 1, 1915. Serial No. 25,252.

To all whom it m (42 concern:

Be it known that I, FREDERICK RAUSCHER, a citizen of the United States,residing at Port Richmond, in the county of Richmond and State of NewYork, have invented new and useful Improvements in Automobile- Signals,of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to automobile signals and it consists in thenovel features hereinafter described and claimed.

The object of the invention is, in a ready and practical manner,to'enable the chauffear to display a signal or signals visible either byday or night, to warn the driver of amachine approaching from the rear,that the chauffeur of the first machine is going to makea turn. Thesignal or signals are provided with movable parts adapted to beprojected beyond the edge of the dashboard of the machine. to indicatein which direction the first machine intends to turn.

lVith the above object in view the signal comprises a casing havingbrackets adapted to. be attached to the dash-board of a machine. Thecasing is further provided with a longitudinally disposed slot having atits ends angularly disposed extremities. A tube is slidably mounted inthe casing and a handleis attached to the side of the tube and isadapted to move along the slot and lodge in the extremities at the endsthereof. A lens frame is carried by the tube and a bulb is mounted atthe end of the tube and located between the lenses carried bythe lensframe. Clips are carried by the handle and are electrically connectedwith the bulb. Electric terminals connected in an open circuit areprovided at the opposite sides of one of the extremities of the slot andwhen the lens frame is projected beyond the edge of the dash-board andthe clips are brought in contact with the terminals an electric circuitis established whereby the bulb is illuminated and the device operatesas a signal which is visible by night. By providing lenses of distinctcolors the said lenses may be readily observed in day light without theuse of the bulb and consequently when the lenses are projected in daylight they serve as means to indicate the direction in which a precedingmachine intends to turn.

In the accompanying drawing:Figure 1 is a side elevation of the signalshowing the same applied to a dash-board. Fi 2 extremity 6. A tube 7 isslidably mounted in the casing 2 and a handle 8 is attached to the sideof the tube and is adapted to move longitudinally of the slot a and mayseat in either one of the extremities 5 or 6 of the said slot. A lensframe 9 is attached to the end of the tube 7 and carries lenses '10which may be of any desired shade or color. A bulb 11 is carried at theend of the tube 7 and is located between the lenses 10. Resilient clips12 are carried by the handle 8 beyond the outer side of the casing 2 andwires 13 electrically connect the bulb 11 with the said clips 12.Terminals 1% are located upon the casing 2 at the opposite sides of theextremities of the slot at and are connected with an open electriccircuit 15, as'shown diagrammatically in Fig. 2, the said circuit beingprovided with a switch 16.

The operation of the signal is as follows. When the signal is inactivethe parts thereof are in the positions as shown in Fig. 2 in the drawingwherein the handle 8 is lodged in the innermost extremity 5 provided atthe end of the slot 4. Now let it be assumed that the driver of themachine intends to make a turn to the left. He grasps the handle 8 andpartially turns the tube 7 whereby the handle 8 is brought intoalinement with the body of the slot 4. The handle 8 is then moved alongthe slot l whereby the tube 7 is projected into the position shown inheavy lines in Fig. 1. The handle 8 is then swung down into theextremity of the slot 4 and when this is done the clips 12 are broughtinto contact with the terminals 14. If the signal is being used at nightthe switch 16 is closed in the circuit 15 consequently electric currentflows from the said circuit to one of the clips 12 and along one of thewires to the bulb 11 which is illuminated. The current then flows backalong the other wire 18 to the other clip 12 and back to the source ofelectric supply.

When the bulb 11 is illuminated and the lenses 10 are moved to theprojected position shown in Fig. l the said illumination serves as asignal to warn a following vehicle and to indicate the direction inwhich the preceding vehicle is to be turned. When the signal is used inday light the switch 6 is open but the lenses 10 carried by the lensframe 9 and the tube 7 may be projected beyond the side edge of thedash-board and may serve as means for indicating the direc tion in whicha preceding machine is to be turned.

From the above description taken in connection with the accompanyingdrawing it will be seen that an automobile signal of simple and durablestructure is provided and that the same may be easily and quicklymanipulated to indicate the direction in which a machine is about to beturned and when the signal is in an inactive position the parts occupysmall space and, do not present obstruction to the occupants of thevehicle.

Having described the invention, what is claimed is 1. A signalcomprising a casing, a tube mounted for movement longitudinally of thecasing, a lamp carried by the tube, a handle for moving the tube, clipscarried by the handle and electrically connected with the lamp,terminals mounted upon the casing, an open circuit connected with theterminals, the said clips adapted to engage the terminals when the tubeis moved to a projected position with relation to the easing and therebyilluminate the lamp bulb.

2. A signal comprising a casing provided with a longitudinally disposedslot having angularly disposed extremities, a tube movably mounted inthe casing, a handle attached to the tube and adapted to traverse thelength of the slot and lodge in the angularly disposed extremitiesthereof, a bulb carried bythe tube, clips. carried by the handle, meanselectrically connecting the clips with the bulb, and electric terminalslocated at the opposite sides of one of the angularly disposedextremities of the slot and connected in an open circuit and adapted tobe engaged by the clips when the tube is moved to a projected positionwith relation to the casing.

3. A signal comprising a casing, a tube movably mounted in the casin ahandle attached to the tube and provided with clips, a bulb attached tothe tube, means electrically connecting the bulb with the clips, a frameattached to the tube, lenses carried by the frame and located at theopposite sides of the bulb, terminals mounted upon the casing, anelectric circuit connected with the terminals the said clips beingadapted to engagethe terminals when the tube is moved to a projectedposition with relation to the casing.

l. A signal comprising a casing having a longitudinally disposed slotprovided with angularly disposed extremities, terminals located at theopposite sides of one of the extremities of the slot, an open circuitconnected with the said terminals, a tube slidably mounted in thecasing, a handle mounted upon the tube and adapted to traverse thelength of the slot and lodge in the extremities thereof, clips carriedby the handle, a

bulb. mounted upon the tube, means electrically connecting the bulb withthe clips, said clips adapted to engage the terminals when the tube ismoved to a projected position with relation to the casing;

In testimony whereof I, anix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

FREDERICK RAUSCHER.

Witnesses M. E. LAUGHLIN, G120. A.'BYRNE.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents. Washington, D. G.

